How I Spent My Christmas Vacation
by degrassichick
Summary: Flash Fic contest entry for jeytonlover! Of New Years Eve, blind dates, designated drivers, promises, broken promises, kisses, and, oh yeah, Kendra. !Dasey! !ThreeShot!
1. Ho Ho Ho Hell

**Hey party people!**

**Okay, an update of Donnie and the Martster should be up later on today or early this week! But, this is my one-shot written for jeytonlover for the LWD Flash Fic contest!**

_**Requests**_

_**1.) Derek buys a **__**pregnancy test**__**.  
2.) Hairspray (the movie or I love the song "I Can Hear the Bells")  
3.) School computer match makes them think**_

_**Pairing I'd like to see: I'm just really motivated by Dasey. Though I do like some triangles between Dasey and another character (preferable Sam or  
Max). I like angst, fluff and comedy.**_

**Of course (being me), I'm OBSESSED with Dasey. Therefore, this is a…Dasey, obviously. And, seeing as Christmas is only 50 days away, I turned it into an early Christmas story…lmao. **

**Anyways, hope you like it, jeytonlover:)**

_**-**_

_**XO,**_

_**DC :)**_

**(Oh yeah, new signature. You guys like? Haha)**

**-**

_**How I Spent My Christmas Vacation**_

_**-**_

"FIVE GOLDEN RINGS!" Marti Venturi wails at the top of her lungs.

Derek glances over at her curiously from where he is sitting at his computer desk, typing furiously away on his laptop. He chuckles when he sees his youngest sister flopping down on his bed with a Santa hat over her dark hair.

"How's it going, Smarti?" he asks her, a smirk playing at his lips.

"Christmas 3 days away, Smerek." The eight-year-old says, grinning wildly.

He nods in understanding. "I know."

For the next two and a half weeks, Derek would be catching up on sleep and playing hockey with Sam. He would be hitting on girls at the mall, and wasting away his days by watching television. Christmas break was _amazing_. And he was sure that his stepsister would be spending hers crouched over college applications.

He hears an ear-shattering scream from the room down the hall, the room that belongs to Casey.

"God, what?" he groans, rolling his eyes.

"Casey's pissed!" Marti exclaims.

Derek's eyes widen and he turns to his sister. "Smarti, who used that word with you?"

She rolls her eyes at her brother and sticks out her tongue. "You did."

He curses himself.

Shrugging it off, he stands up from his chair and makes his way out of his bedroom and towards his stepsister's.

He is met at her closed door by her door swinging open, her hair is frazzled and messy (_Nothing new there_, thinks Derek), but that's not what's wrong.

What's wrong is the glossy, flaming expression in her bright blue eyes.

"What crawled up your ass?" he snorts towards her.

"_Emily_." Casey snaps bitterly before shoving past her nuisance-of-a-stepbrother and stomping off down the hall.

"Mom…" she drags out pleadingly as she heads downstairs towards the living room.

Curious, and oh-so-nosy, Derek follows her to the stairs and leans up against a wall to eavesdrop.

All he hears are the words: "Emily" "Parents" "Out" "Scared" "Sheldon" and "Pregnant".

And none of those are good words.

…especially not the Sheldon one.

Oh, and that pregnant one isn't too good either.

"Casey, I can't right now. I have this huge case up." He hears Nora clearly state.

"Can I at _least_ borrow your car?" Casey begs.

"Your father has it, his is in the shop. Why don't you just take Derek-"

The words aren't even fully out of Nora's mouth before Derek is hurdling himself down the staircase.

"No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No." he is hurriedly yelling down the stairs. He gets in front of his stepmother and stepsister and takes a breath. "And most importantly, _no_."

Casey snorts, crossing her arms over her chest. "You won't even take me to a nearby _Wal-Mart_?"

Derek shakes his head at her feverishly. "I'm not taking you _anywhere_, Space Case."

Casey rolls her eyes at him. "Get more creative nicknames." She tosses over her shoulder and she stalks up the stairs.

Nora glances up at her stepson, sighing. "Derek, why can't you just do this for Casey? You guys are family."

"Not by choice." Derek mutters under his breath.

Casey hurries back down the stairs a few moments later, now wearing her yellow coat that she received from her grandmother in France. She brushes past Derek and Nora without a word and briskly walks out the front door.

"Where is she going?" Derek murmurs.

That's when he hears an engine revving up.

_His _engine.

"No." he says, backing off and grabbing his coat off the coat rack, storming out the door.

Nora simply shakes her head at the closed door, smiling, before returning to her laptop.

-

"Get out of my car!" Derek demands, charging towards Casey from where she sits in the driver's seat of his RAV4.

"I have to go to Wal-Mart." Casey says shortly, beginning to crookedly pull out of the driveway.

Derek shakes his head in disbelief, anger and shock bubbling up inside of him as he runs around to the other side of the SUV and throwing himself in.

"DEREK!" Casey exclaims, turning her head sharply towards him.

"You need to go so badly that you're going to go without a _license_? Casey, you failed the driver's test, incase you've forgotten. And what? Now you're going to drive _my_ car, and get _all_ of us thrown in jail – or _killed_ - just to go to fucking _Wal-Mart_?"

Casey stops the car abruptly, her eyes widened and her mouth agape. The black SUV is awkwardly sitting with two wheels on the street and the other two on the driveway.

Casey sighs. "If I give you the keys-"

"Which were _mine_ to begin with."

Casey rolls her eyes. "If I give you the keys, do your _promise_ to drive me to Wal-Mart?"

He scoffs. "_What_ is your obsession with that place?"

"I just need to pick something up, it's important." Casey says hurriedly.

"A pregnancy test." Derek concludes, thinking back to Casey's conversation with Nora from earlier in the afternoon.

Casey's heart sinks and her jaw drops. "You _heard_ that?"

"So, who's preggo?" Derek questions.

Casey slumps back against the seat and sighs, turning her head slightly to look at her stepbrother.

"Emily." She answers softly. "Maybe."

Derek sighs, thinking to the girl who had been his neighbor for years before nodding slowly. "Fine. I'll drive you."

Casey smiles slightly, "Thanks." She says. And quickly releases her foot from the brake.

The car begins to roll down the driveway on its own volition.

"Casey!" Derek exclaims, Casey quickly slams her foot back down on the brake, breathing heavily out of shock.

Derek leans over and shifts the car into Park.

Derek slumps back down against his seat, letting out a staggered breath. "For the love of God, woman. _Buy_ a driver's manual."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Casey and Derek are walking into Ho-Ho-Ho Hell.

Kids are _everywhere_, scampering throughout the aisles and crowding the lobby, screaming and squealing, throwing toys at each other. Parents are huddled around, arguing.

"Oh my God." Derek declares, shaking his head.

Casey grins widely, wrapping her arms around herself. "Don't you _love_ Christmas?" she asks cheerfully.

Derek shakes his head at her quickly. "No."

Casey narrows her eyes at him, smiling playfully. "Scrooge."

Derek snorts. "Let's just get this over with." He mutters.

Casey starts off towards the Women's Care section before pausing when she realizes that Derek isn't behind her.

She sighs and turns towards Derek. He is leaning against a rack of Christmas-themed Hershey Kisses, his arms crossed over his chest.

Casey rolls her eyes and starts back towards him, latching onto the sleeve of his leather jacket. "_Come on_." She says and hauls him off.

"I'm not going with you to…_there_." He argues, breaking out of her grip.

"Oh, come_ on._" She says, laughing and shaking her head. "Let's go." She says and pushes him the rest of the way towards the aisle she is in need of.

Derek nearly faints when he finds himself bombarded with shelf upon shelf of…girl things.

Some of these things, Derek concludes, he has never even _heard_ of.

Maxi Pads. Tampax. Equate _everything_. Vagisil. Vagisil odor-blocking formula (he was basically _positive_ he didn't want to know what _that _was for). First Response. Midol upon Midol. Trojan (_that_, he knew of. In fact, three of them were currently resting behind a crisp dollar bill in his wallet). Nair. Nair face cream. Gentle Glide. Pamprin. Clearblue Easy. AimStick (just the _name_ sounded appealing).

Casey reaches for a box that reads _e.p.t._ and turns back towards Derek, smiling wickedly. "This just _made _your day, didn't it?"

Derek shakes his head at her darkly. "You _owe_ me. Big."

She sticks her tongue out at him, "Come on, let's go." She says and the two start back off through the store, pushing their way through the swarms of people.

Just as they are nearing one of the many looming lines, Casey stops dead in her tracks, and her heart falls to the pit of her stomach.

Derek turns to face her confusingly, "Wha…?" he drifts off as his eyes follow the trail of her own.

Standing off in the distance is Max. Max with his body leaning against a girl with platinum blonde hair. She has her arms thrown around his neck and she is giggling.

Casey shakes her head in disgust.

She and Max had broken up earlier during the term. He had told her that with it being his senior year and all that he wasn't going to be dating.

"Fucking liar." She snaps bitterly before shoving past Derek and off in the _opposite_ direction of the cash registers.

Derek shakes his head at her body running towards the entertainment section.

"Drama queen." He mutters under his breath before nodding flirtatiously at a girl standing off by the Self Checkout lane.

Casey and her little melodrama could wait.

* * *

Casey leans back against a display of every Christmas CD ranging from the Muppets to Hannah Montana to Death Cab to Yanni. She lets out a shaky breath and sighs.

Max had spent the entire summer before senior year telling her how much he loved her, and then he does _this._

She officially hates men.

Not that Max is a man; he's more of a boy. A young boy. A young, immature, stupid boy.

And she hates him.

She hates the cheerful singing beside her at the moment. It's a group of girls, belting out the words to a song from Hairspray, all standing huddled close to a rack full of the colorful DVD cases containing said movie, a giant cutout of Zac Efron as Link Larkin stands off beside it.

"_Yes, my heart burst, now I know what life's about. One little touch and love's knocked me out. And, I can hear the-"_

"You don't know what life's about!" Casey cuts them off.

The trio of tweens turns to face her, shocked, almost scared, expressions on their faces.

"Do you really want to know what life is about, kids? It's full of heartbreak and pain and boys who are going to lie to your face all the damn time!" Casey exclaims hotly, inching closer and closer to the girls.

"Will you stay away from my daughter?!" a large woman screeches, bustling in front of Casey and glaring at her angrily.

But, Casey's on a roll. "And you know what, Edna Turnblad?" she asks, pointing an accusing finger towards the mother. "Wilbur probably _did_ cheat on you with Velma! The chick was played by Michelle Pfeiffer for God's sake! Who do you think Christopher Walken is going to choose? You? Or _Her_?"

The mother gives Casey a dumbfounded expression, and the young girls behind Casey stare at her, wide-eyed and stunned.

"Okay, come along Casey, time to get you back to the Ward." A familiar voice says from behind Casey.

Casey turns around sharply and sees Derek standing beside her, his hand latched onto her arm.

"I'm sorry for her outburst." He says apologetically to the family. "The doc warned her about what would happen if she went off her medication for a day, and doggoneit, she should have listened." Derek says in an "aw shuck" fashion. He gives the group one more apologetic look before hauling Casey away from them and back towards the front of the store.

They are walking past the Arts & Crafts section when Casey turns towards Derek and raises an eyebrow. "_Doggoneit_?" she snorts.

Derek looks back towards her and sends her an equally questioning look. "_Edna Turnblad_?"

Casey scoffs and shakes her head, turning away from him dismissively.

"Well _fine_." Derek snaps as they make their way towards another line of cash registers.

Max is still kissing-it-up with the blonde, the two are pressed in between two side-by-side water fountains.

Casey shakes her head and thrusts an object into Derek's palm. "I'll be waiting outside." She mutters before turning and stalking out of the store.

Derek eyes her confusingly before calling after her. "You didn't buy your-"

That's when he looks down at the object in his hand.

It's a white and blue box with black writing on it that clearly reads: _e.p.t. Certainty_.

That bitch.

He debates putting the box back until he notices that the line is moving.

He also happens to notice that the line he is standing in has a _very_ good looking girl checking out the items.

_Self-Checkout Line_, he thinks to himself. _I _need_ a Self-Checkout Line_.

Of course, the Self-Checkout lines are _full_ of people all standing with carts _full_ of objects ranging from loaves of bread to Christmas cards.

"Sir?" a female voice asks.

Derek turns and sees the girl standing in front of him is the cashier. She is wearing a name tag that reads that her name is Bethany and she has curly, strawberry blonde hair.

Derek quickly tosses the pregnancy kit onto the track nonchalantly.

She glances down at it for a moment, quirks an eyebrow, and glances back up at Derek.

"You have a little too much fun with your girlfriend?" she asks with a small laugh.

_Hahahaha_. Derek bitterly thinks in his head.

"It's for my stepsister." He replies back, muttering.

Her eyes widen. "Aww! You're a really good stepbrother, then!" she says, an approving smile playing on her lips.

He shrugs mockingly. "Yeah, well. That's just how I am." He says, grinning.

She hands him his bag and receipt and gives him a flirtatious smile. "My name is Bethany Gable, check me out on MySpace sometime." She says, winking at him before returning towards her next customer.

He shakes his head, smiling towards himself. "Derek Venturi has done it again." He murmurs victoriously.

"Derek!" a male voice calls out to him.

Derek pauses, he recognizes the voice. It's Max's voice.

He turns around and sees Max making his way towards him, smiling cockily.

"Hey." Derek mutters, giving him the shadow of a smirk.

"Did you see the girl I was with?" Max asks with a grin.

Derek shrugs. She wasn't that cute. And she was definitely a bottle blonde.

"Dude, I've totally been hooking up with her since August." Max continues on carelessly, holding up his hand as if expecting Derek to smack it with his own.

"You were still with Casey in August." Derek replies.

Sam nods, laughing. "Yeah, that's kind of the point." He says. "I mean, come on Derek, you know how it is."

"Actually, I don't." Derek responds.

"Casey told me about your little excursion with the ballerina and Kendra." Max says, his voice getting sharper.

Derek shrugs it off. "I didn't go off screwing them behind the other's back."

"What are you trying to say?" Max snaps offensively.

Derek rolls his eyes. "You really fit the jock stereotype to a T."

Max glances down at the bag in Derek's hand, clearly reading the words _e.p.t._

"And you really match the description of a man whore." Max throws back.

Derek laughs sarcastically. "Man whore. _Nice_. You really got me with that one; I may be emotionally scarred until graduation from it."

"Drop dead." Max snorts.

"And stay the fuck away from Casey." Derek throws back, noticing the girl coming up to Max, her badly dyed hair shining at him mockingly. "Oh, and I was with her when she was a brunette." Derek says towards Max before turning and walking out of the store.

It isn't until Derek is nearing closer towards his RAV4 and seeing Casey sitting inside of it with her head resting against the window that he realizes that he was sticking up for her.

What. The. Hell?

He climbs into the car and tosses the Wal-Mart bag onto Casey's lap.

Casey turns towards him and smiles slightly. "Thanks for buying it."

Derek shrugs it off before pulling out of the parking lot.

He wasn't going to tell her what he did to Max; he didn't want her to think for a moment that she actually thought he cared.

Even though, deep down inside, maybe he did care.

Just a little bit.

* * *

Derek is awoken on Christmas morning by Marti pouncing on his bed.

"GET UP!" she squeals.

"Not now." Derek mutters and turns his back to his sister, covering his head with a pillow.

Marti giggles and jumps down from his bed. "You have three minutes before I attack again." She warns him before turning and traipsing out of the room

Derek sighs when he hears the door close and feels himself drifting into a slumber.

That is, until his door opens again.

"It hasn't been three minutes, Smarti." Derek mutters, closing his eyes shut tighter.

A body sits itself down at the foot of his bed.

"Emily took the test." Casey's voice murmurs.

Derek sits up and rubs his eyes, glaring at her. "And?"

"It came out negative." She says, smiling.

Derek nods. "Great." He mutters, "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"And Max called me last night." Casey continues.

Derek sits up quickly, now _wide_ awake.

"Apparently, a certain guy named Derek was chewing him out at Wal-Mart a few days ago and he wanted to know if I put him up to it."

Derek doesn't reply.

"Of course, I told him that I had no idea what he was talking about, but he assured me that it was you." Casey says, looking at Derek with laughing eyes. He notices that her blue eyes have a tendency of sparkling.

Derek rolls his eyes. "I may have said a few things to him."

Casey sighs. "Well, not that I need you to fight my battles or anything, but thanks." She says, smiling at him softly.

He gives her the sliver of a smile.

She leans over the bed and he catches a whiff of her strawberry scented hair as she presses a chaste kiss to his left cheek. "You're a good brother, Derek Venturi." She says before rolling off his bed and making her way towards the door. "Merry Christmas." And she opens up the door and steps into the hallway.

Derek throws himself back down onto his bed, the word "brother" racing through his head.

_You're a good brother_. The words call out at him mockingly.

He doesn't want to be her brother, he decides.

He doesn't even want to be her _friend_.

He wants to be the one that protects her from the jackasses of the school and spends his nights rolling around in her bed kissing her endlessly.

And nothing has ever freaked him out so much as that thought.

His bedroom door flies open and Marti throws herself back down on his bed once more, and he is brutally thrust back into reality.

A reality where Casey is just a girl, and he is just her stepbrother.

But, who knows?

Mistletoe _is_ a holiday tradition, after all.

* * *

**Well, I hope you liked it!**

**This is the first Dasey story that I've written where it doesn't end up with them in it.**

**But, of course, you guys can let your minds wander with what happens after my final line :) lol**

**Anyways, jeytonlover, I hope that you liked it!**

**-**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

**Happy (very early) Holidays!**

**-**

_**XO,**_

_**DC :)**_


	2. Of Hanson and Tiffany

**Hey readers!**

**Okay, so I had a few reviews about making my one-shot into a two-shot, and after I, myself, began wondering what would happen next, I decided to turn "How I Spent My Christmas Vacation" into a Two-Shot. And, I figured, what day to post it than the official kick off for the Christmas season. Thanksgiving! (Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, by the way!)**

**So, here's the continuation. Haha**

**Hope you like!**

**Happy Holidays!! (Christmas is…soon! Haha)**

**Enjoy!**

**-**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**-**

_**Love,**_

_**DC**_

**-**

Casey McDonald is awakened on Christmas morning by her cell phone blasting in her ear to the tune of Relient K's "12 Days of Christmas."

"_WHAT'S A PARTRIDGE? AND WHAT'S A PEAR TREE? I DON'T KNOW SO PLEASE DON'T-"_

"SHUT UP!" she exclaims and yank her white Chocolate off of her nightstand and quickly slide it open. "Hello?" she nearly barks into the phone without even checking the Caller ID.

"It's Emily, am I in trouble?" her best friend quips back at her, laughing.

"Sorry, Em." She sighs, sitting up in bed and running a hand through her brown hair. "Merry Christmas!"

"It is indeed." Emily giggles. "The test was negative."

Casey squeals and jumps up on her bed. She knows how badly Emily _didn't_ want to be a freshman at York with a baby. "Em, that's great! How did Sheldon take it?"

"He was bummed, actually!" Emily replies with an awkward tone. "It was kind of weird. I never expected him to, you know, actually _want_ to have a baby this early in life. But, he told me he loved me and that he would love to start a family with me."

"Aw, Em!" she gushes, a wide smile on her face. "That is so sweet!"

She thinks back to her Max encounter at Wal-Mart a few days back, and the phone call last night, where Max had yelled at her about how pathetic it was to have Derek fight her battles for her. Of course, Casey had no idea _what_ he was talking about. Derek Venturi would _never_ fight a battle for her.

But, if he did, that's amazingly sweet.

And cute.

Not that, you know,he's _cute_ or anything.

Because he's not.

Christmas music is already blasting through the McDonald-Venturi house as she hangs up with Emily. She throws on her red chenille robe that is covered with snowflakes and snowmen and slip on her plush slippers shaped like Santa hats and step out into the hallway. She makes her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth and by the time she is back into hallway, the song has changed from Jingle Bell Rock to…Hanson.

"_That's what Christmas means to me my love! Christmas means to me my love, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa-oh. Christmas means to me my love…!" _she can hear her 14-year-old sister Lizzie wailing out from downstairs. She smiles to herself, rolling her eyes as she pauses in front of Derek's bedroom door that is slightly ajar.

"You have three minutes before I attack again!" she hears Marti exclaim before she pounces out of his bedroom and down the hallway. "Merry Christmas, Casey!" she cries out before she hurries downstairs.

Casey smiles and creeps into his bedroom, plopping down on the foot of his messy bed.

"It has _not_ been three minutes, Smarti." Derek mutters bitterly, sitting up in his bed. His messed up, reddish-brown hair is sticking up all over his head. He sees the girl sitting at the foot of his bed and sits up just a little bit higher. Or maybe that's just her eyes playing tricks on her.

"Emily took the test." Casey calmly replies.

"And?" he throws back.

"It came out negative." She smiles.

He nods his head slowly before dropping back down against his beat-up pillows. "Great. Can I go back to sleep now?"

Casey sigh, continuing. "And Max called me last night."

Now he's _wide_ awake.

He sits up quickly, his eyes widen.

Casey laughs slightly. "Apparently, a certain guy named Derek was chewing him out at Wal-Mart a few days ago and he wanted to know if I put him up to it."

Derek doesn't reply, simply sits there.

"Of course, I told him that I had no idea what he was talking about, but he assured me that it was you." Casey says, looking at Derek with laughter in her big blue eyes. She notices that Derek's eyes have flecks of gold and green in them and for reason the thought alone makes her stomach buzz.

Derek rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. "I may have said a few things to him." He mutters.

Casey sighs. "Well, not that I need you to fight my battles or anything, but thanks." She says, smiling at him softly.

If she wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn right then and there that Derek Venturi smiled at her.

Thinking on impulse, she leans over and presses a light kiss to his cheek. "You're a good brother, Derek Venturi." She says before rolling off of his bed and making her way towards his bedroom door. She pauses and turns to look at him once more before disappearing into the hallway. "Merry Christmas."

As she steps into the hallway, closing his door gingerly behind her right before Marti races back down the hall and barricades through it once more, screaming, "TIME'S UP!", only one word can cross her mind.

_Brother_?

* * *

As Casey makes her way down the stairs, she pauses and tries to contain her laughter, and her gushing.

Her mom and stepfather are dancing around the living room to Wham's "Last Christmas."

"Doesn't it make you cringe?" Edwin asks from the kitchen table, where he is thumbing away on his PSP.

"It's romantic!" Lizzie argues, slugging him in the shoulder. "Jerk."

Casey laughs and rolls her eyes, "Merry Christmas, everyone." She says before making her way into the dining room and plopping down in a chair across from Edwin.

"Merry Christmas, Case." George says cheerfully, before dipping Nora and pressing a dramatic kiss to her lips.

Lizzie laughs and nudges Edwin. "That doesn't even make your heart warm up just a _little_ bit?"

He shakes his head quickly, not even bothering to look up from whatever game he is entranced in.

"Morning all." Derek mutters as he makes his way down the stairs, clad in a heather gray tee-shirt and plaid red, gray, and black pajama pants.

"Nice pajamas." Edwin snorts.

Not even bothering to sit with his siblings and stepsiblings at the table, he makes his way in front of the tree and quickly sits down in his chair right across from it. Marti scampers after him and leaps onto his lap.

"Can we open presents now?!" she exclaims.

Nora laughs and nods. "Sure. Who's going first?"

"Oh, me!" Lizzie cheerfully notes and jumps up from her chair. She hurries towards the tree and quickly snatches up a present wrapped in silver paper with candy canes on it. "Edwin, this is for you."

Edwin's eyes widen out of surprise and he sits his PSP on the table, cautiously making his way towards his stepsister and taking the present out of her waiting hands.

He tears off of the paper and opens the lid to the box the present is held in.

Casey slides away from the table and jumps over the back of the couch so that she is now comfortably seated on the plush, black leather couch that George had bought Nora for her birthday back in September.

Lizzie scoots closer to her. "This is gonna be good." She whispers mischievously towards her sister, an evil smile playing on her lips. Casey eyes her in confusion before turning back towards Edwin to see his present.

The box drops to the floor as Edwin pulls his present out of it. He gives the present a blank look. It's a white tee-shirt, from what the family can see. Lizzie bursts out in laughter, "Don't you love it?!"

"What is it, Ed?" George asks.

Edwin flips the shirt around so that the family can see it.

It says "Santa's Little Helper" in bright, red lettering and was clearly made from a computer, seeing a large, smiling picture of Edwin is right beside the phrase.

Derek starts laughing. "_Nice_."

Lizzie smirks. "I did a great job at choosing the gift, I know."

Edwin furrows his brow and gets a playful expression in his eyes before tossing a present in her direction. "And _this_ is for you."

Lizzie rips off of the green paper and pulls out her present. It's a bottle of peppermint body spray.

Lizzie's eyes widen in surprise and she looks up at him. "How did you know that I…?"

"I could always smell it on you." Edwin says sheepishly. "One day, you stopped smelling like it and I kind of missed the smell."

Lizzie's jaw drops. "Edwin!" she exclaims and quickly pulls him into a hug. "Thank you!" she says before smacking a kiss against his cheek. "You're awesome."

Edwin smiles smugly as they pull apart. "I know." He says cockily.

Casey rolls her eyes but laughs as the present-baring continues.

* * *

The living room floor is _covered_ with torn up wrapping paper, open boxes, and presents a little over an hour later, as the present giving ends.

Derek's presents are jumbled in a pile off to the side, as are Edwin's, Marti's, George's, and Nora's.

Casey and Lizzie have theirs in neat stacks. Casey's stacked up according to length and height. Right before she opened each of her presents, she would glance up at whoever had given her the present, wiggle her eyebrows, and say, "Tiffany earrings?" jokingly. She had been asking for a pair of earrings from Tiffany for a while, but, she hadn't gotten them. She had, however, gotten a _gorgeous_ Tiffany charm bracelet from George and Nora, and that was _definitely_ good enough.

"Casey, Derek, you guys didn't buy each other gifts?" Lizzie asks surprisingly, turning her head towards both of them.

Casey glances at Derek loosely, shrugging. "Guess not."

"I'm going to go make breakfast." Nora announces, standing up from where she is seated on the floor. "Snowman pancakes with powdered sugar work for everyone?"

The group nods and George accompanies her into the kitchen.

Casey stands and kicks on the CD player, playing the song "Sleigh Ride" by Relient K.

Okay, so she's a big Relient K Christmas music fan, sue her.

"Marti, wanna go make a snowman?" Lizzie chirps towards her youngest sister.

"Yeah!" Marti exclaims and the pair hurry to the coat rack, pulling their coats and boots on quickly.

"Edwin, you coming?" Lizzie asks, turning towards him and smiling playfully.

Edwin nods quickly and after he puts on his boots and coat, the trio hurries outside.

Casey and Derek sit in an awkward silence for a few moments before she looks up at him. "So, are you going to help me clean this up?" she asks nonchalantly.

Derek nods apprehensively. "Yeah, sure." He says as she grabs a large, black Hefty bag and he begins to crumple up the already crumpled up wrapping paper and tossing it into the bag.

"So, are you happy about Emily not being pregnant?" Derek asks in a desperate attempt to make conversation with her.

Derek Venturi is _never_ desperate. Therefore, this is a shock for not only Casey, but for him as well.

"Uh, yeah…" she stammers. "I'm pretty sure."

"That's good." He nods.

And then it's silent again.

The paper and bows are thrown into the bag in a few minutes and Casey and Derek slump up beside each other on the couch.

"I hate it when it's like this." Casey murmurs softly.

Derek turns his head towards her. "What do you mean?"

"After the presents are gone." Casey says with a shrug. "It looks so lonely…so _empty_. So naked."

Derek doesn't reply. He simply stands up from the floor and grabs the garbage bag. "I'm going to go take this out to the garage."

Casey nods slowly, standing up as well. "Yeah…yeah, okay."

He nods. "Okay." He says awkwardly before lugging the trash bag off towards the kitchen.

The smell of pancakes and bacon wafts through the air as Casey makes her way towards the window to watch the making of the snowman.

Marti is bundled up in a coat and scarf and is patting on the snowman with her mitten-covered hands.

Casey looks off towards Lizzie and Edwin, who are standing far away from Marti, closer towards the driveway.

Edwin has his arm wrapped around Lizzie's neck, holding her up against his chest as he slams a snowball on her head.

Casey can tell that Lizzie is screaming as she packs up a snowball and chases after Edwin, she tackles him and two fall against the snow, lying on top of each other.

Words can't describe the feeling going through Casey's body as she sees what happens next.

Lizzie, who is hovering on top of Edwin, leans down and presses a kiss against his lips.

Casey's jaw drops and she notices that Edwin doesn't object, he simply wraps his arm around her neck and presses her closer towards him, kissing her back with urgency.

Casey presses her hand to her heart, "Oh my God." She murmurs, a smile on her lips as she watches the two kiss as the snow falls on top of them. Marti glances towards them once, smiles, and then returns to oblivion as she continues to build her masterpiece.

* * *

"Sad that it's over." Nora says dazedly as she turns off the television.

The McDonald-Venturi clan has just finished watching the movie "Elf" with Will Ferrell, which Casey _loved_.

"Christmas or the movie?" Casey asks, turning towards her.

"All of it." She sighs and she and George stand up from the couch, where they are sitting with Marti.

Derek is sitting in his chair, Lizzie and Edwin are sharing the large, leather chaise on the other side of the couch, holding their hands secretly between each other, so that nobody can see, and Casey is plopped on the floor against the couch.

"Well, we're going to head to bed." George announces and scoops the sleeping Marti up in his arms. "Merry Christmas, everyone." He says.

"Merry Christmas." The teenagers all throw back at them as the three head upstairs.

The remaining four sit in a silence for a few moments before Derek announces that he is heading upstairs and Lizzie and Edwin follow suit.

"Case, are you coming?" Lizzie asks, pausing on the stairs and turning towards her sister.

Casey hops up from the floor and shakes her head. "I'm going to stay down here a little longer. There's still a half hour left of Christmas and I plan to enjoy it." She says with a laugh.

Lizzie laughs. "Merry Christmas, Casey." She says with a small smile before latching onto Edwin's hand and heading upstairs with him.

"Merry Christmas, Case." Edwin tosses over his shoulder as they disappear to the up stairs.

George and Nora head downstairs a few minutes later. They each pull Casey into a hug. "Merry Christmas, Casey."

Casey kisses them both on the cheek. "Goodnight." She says before the two disappear to their basement bedroom.

Casey sighs and makes her way towards the kitchen, quickly pulling out a hot chocolate mix and dousing it with skim milk before warming it up. She pulls out a candy cane while she waits for her hot chocolate to be warmed up and stands in front of the fridge, looking at all the pictures hanging on it.

Tons of family's Christmas cards are taped onto it, as well as the Venturi-McDonald family Christmas card.

She smiles as she looks at it.

Lizzie and Edwin are grinning widely at the camera, sitting close together; George and Nora have their arms wrapped around each other. Casey, of course, is smiling happily at the camera, and Derek has a laughing Marti swung over his shoulder, the two gaze at each other with wide, happy eyes.

Derek's not that bad looking. Not that Casey has ever thought any different than that. She's always found him to be cute, and even sometimes…charming.

Of course, that's a secret that's supposed to be taken to the grave.

She pulls her hot chocolate out of the microwave and dips her candy cane into it, using it as a stirrer and letting the peppermint melt into the warm liquid.

She makes her way back into the kitchen and sits on the couch, wrapping her legs under her as she stares at the glow of the beautifully colored lights on the Christmas tree, which is the only light filling the living room save a few candles that have yet to be blown out and a few lit up Christmas figurines.

She takes a sip out of her hot chocolate and notices something under the tree that wasn't under there before.

It's a present in small box with a tiny bow on top of it.

"We forgot a present?" Casey asks herself in surprise, sitting her snowman mug on the coffee table.

Of course, she knows that they didn't forget a present.

For starters, her family would _never_ miss a Christmas present.

And second, she and Derek had cleaned the living room themselves, and they had been in and out of the living room all day! There was no way that nobody would have noticed a present left under the tree.

"I never like it when the tree is present-less either." A male voice announces, causing Casey to jump.

She turns around and sees Derek standing against the large chest of drawers that sits opposite the dining room table. A candle flickers against his face, causing his face to glow a warm color, turn dark, and then repeat the pattern.

"It was pretty much the worst thing about Christmas." Derek continues, slinking his way towards the couch and sitting beside her. "The feeling that it was _really_ over. You always knew that if just _one_ present was left over, that it wasn't over, and you could hold on to the joy for a little longer."

Casey eyes him in surprise. "Wow, Derek. That was…beautiful." She murmurs.

"So, Christmas isn't over yet." He says with a shrug, and nods towards the present under the tree. "It's yours."

She gives him a curious look before standing up and creping towards the tree. She plucks up the small package and sits back beside him.

She tears off the paper gingerly and is met with something hard and slick…and sky blue.

She has a good idea as to what it is, and it shocks her.

"No way." She shakes her head, gingerly unties the white ribbon, and opens up the top of the box.  
She's met with a pair of gorgeous, sparkling, earrings shaped like hearts.

"Oh my God." She whispers.

"I saw you looking at them when you, me, Lizzie, and Ed went to pick out Dad and Nora's present at that Tiffany's place that you're obsessed with."

"Derek…I…" Casey finds herself, for the first time in her seventeen years on earth, speechless. She traced the pad of her index finger around the sterling silver circles, and she could feel the bump that hit her finger at the diamond on the top of the earrings. "These are…"

She remembered the day at Tiffany, when she and Lizzie had both stopped at the earrings and eyed them with wonder in their eyes. She also knew the price of the earrings. 350 _dollars_. Derek Venturi had spent 350 dollars on _her_.

"Thank you." She finally choked out in a whisper, turning towards him.

He shrugs, smiling at her sheepishly. "You're welcome."

She shakes her head in surprise. "This isn't like you…how did you…why…?"

Derek simply laughs and shakes his head at her. "Honestly, I don't know. But put them on before I decide to take them back, I still have the receipt and everything."

Casey laughs and slips them into her ears, and they feel _incredible_.

"I got you something, too." She says quickly and reaches onto the floor, grabbing onto a present that has been sitting against the side of the couch since last night.

She hands the package to Derek, who eyes her curiously before he rips off the paper.

Sitting in a plain, silver frame is a black and white candid photo of Derek and Marti.

Marti has a wide smile on her face and she is looking directly at Derek, while he glances back towards her slyly, smirking.

"When did you take this?" he asks, looking up at her.

Casey shrugs. "A while ago, in November, I think."

"Thanks, Casey."

She shrugs. "It's nothing compared to…" she gestures towards her earrings.

"Max is an idiot for dumping you." Derek mutters, shaking his head.

Casey turns towards him, "What?"

"But, I'm happy he did." He continues, leaning in closer towards her.

"Derek, what--?" but she doesn't get another word out, because Derek's lips are now pressed against hers, and she's not about to argue.

The two slump back against the couch, knocking over the Tiffany box and the wrapping paper on their way down against the couch.

Casey slides her arms around his neck and he wraps his around her lower back, kissing her urgently.

They break away momentarily. Derek glances against the clock as it shifts from _11:59 _to _12:00_. They both watch the neon colors change the numbers before looking back at each other once more.

"Happy December 26th." Derek murmurs with a smug smile before pressing his lips against hers once more, and Casey decides that she can't wait until New Year's.

* * *

**Ta-da!**

**Hope you liked it:)**

**I know, I know, I didn't use the mistletoe (and that Derek was definitely OOC at the end!), but still, I hope you guys liked it!**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**Happy Holidays!!**

**-**

**xo,**

**DC :)**


	3. Five Minutes to Midnight

**Hi guys!**

**Okay, PLEASE forgive me for not updating Donnie & the Martster yet, I am SO sorry! But, I keep having these little bursts of inspiration for OTHER stories, so I keep writing them and posting them, so I'm sorry! But I promise, promise, PROMISE to update as soon as I can actually get my head cleared enough to write the chapter! I'm halfway through it already, so just a matter of time…lol.**

**Anyways, I hope you all had AMAZING Christmases and all have extremely incredible New Years :)**

**This story came to me after I found out that we have to take down our Christmas tree today (New Year's Eve)…and then I was looking at my Christmas tree, it made me sad we were taking it down, and I decided to make my oneshot-turned-twoshot into a threeshot. **

**So, enjoy! ;P**

**-**

**Oh, and the podcast for Out of the Blue posted last week! I was SO excited! So, for those of you who haven't seen it, please check it out! Even though they didn't use a Dasey scene, I was still very much satisfied :):) lol**

**-**

**XO,**

**DC :)**

**-**

"Please enlighten me on how we got stuck…_un-_decorating the Christmas tree?" Derek asked with a sigh, plucking a shiny, red bulb and sticking it in the pre-packaged box it came in with all the rest of the…shiny, red bulbs.

Casey laughed, rolling her eyes at him. "Chill. It gives you time with me, doesn't it?"

Derek paused, his heart hammering in his chest as he turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. "Now what makes you so sure I actually _enjoy_ spending time with you?"

Casey held her hand to her chin with mock contemplativeness. "Hmm…last night in the _bathroom_ would entail that you, in fact, _do_."

Derek's mind instantly flashes to last night. He had been in the bathroom brushing his teeth, when he saw Casey pass by. He reached out his arm, blocking her from passing and covering her stomach, before hauling her into the bathroom and kicking the door shut.

"_Derek, if we get caught-" Casey murmured, before Derek pressed his lips against hers to quiet her._

_She pushed off of him. "I'll _kill_ you." She promised, laughter to her voice._

"_We won't get caught, you baby." Derek said, scooping her up in his arms and planting her on the rim of the sink._

_She giggled, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing her lips against his once more, kissing him deeply._

_It hadn't even been a week since Christmas, and they were already inseparable. _

_Christmas Miracle…I suppose you could call it._

"_You better enjoy this kiss." Casey laughed, as they broke apart and Derek began dropping kisses down her neck._

"_I enjoy all of our kisses, Case." Derek murmured, lightly sucking on her jugular vein, causing her to squirm._

"_Well, this one is going to have to be incredible, because it's the last one you're getting until 2008."_

_Derek stopped, his lips still pressed against her neck, but not moving._

"_I'm sorry?" he asked against her skin._

_She laughed, pushing on his shoulders until they were facing one another._

"_This is my last kiss until next year."_

"_What the hell kind of logic is that?" Derek asked, cocking his head, and placing a hand on either of her hips, bringing them closer together, Casey practically falling off the edge of the sink. "I want to kiss you every second of the day and you're depriving me of that thrill for over 24 hours?"_

_Casey giggled, hopping off the sink and pressing one final, chaste kiss to his lips. "Kiss ya next year." She said with a wink before turning and sauntering out of the bathroom._

"_Devil woman!" Derek called after her, and all he could hear was her laughter._

"Are you still following your 'little theory'?" Derek asks, eyeing her nervously.

She grins evilly. "I most definitely am."

"But, you're going to _Emily_'s for New Years."

"And you're going to Sam's." Casey tosses back.

"Then, how do you expect me to kiss you at midnight?"

Casey laughs plucking the final ornament off of the tree and sitting it into the box. "Guess you'll figure something out." She eyes the naked tree sadly.

"Oh, _very_ helpful, Case."

She smiles, shrugging. "I try."

"So, this is the last of Christmas." Derek sighs, shoving his hands into the pockets of his ripped jeans.

Casey nods, sighing sadly. "Until next year, I guess." She says with a shrug.

"You guys get it all cleaned up?" George asks, walking through the front door, bundled up in a coat after spending the better portion of the morning taking down the Christmas lights.

"Yep, we got the last of them." Casey murmurs, stepping away from the tree. She didn't want to look around the rest of the house, because it would seem so empty without the Christmas decorations. "I think I'm going to head over to Emily's. See you tonight." She says, turning towards Derek and winking tauntingly, before grabbing her coat off the coat rack. "Bye, George! Happy New Year!" she calls out cheerfully over her shoulder as she opens up the front door. "See you next year, Derek." She says mockingly, before the front door shuts behind her form.

Derek eyes the door desperately for a few moments, as if waiting for Casey to open up the door and cry out "just kidding!"…but, that doesn't happen.

George makes his way towards his son, smiling. "What do you say we take this tree out to the garage, huh?"

Derek sighs, looking at the tree dimly. "Yeah." He deadpans. "Sure."

* * *

"More than you, more than you know! I'm slowly getting closure; I guess it's really over. I'm finally getting better…!" Emily is belting out as Casey steps into her bedroom, her back facing her.

Sheldon, who is sitting on Emily's bed, turns and waves at Casey animatedly. "Hey 1Casey!"

Emily freezes, spinning around to face her. "Hey Case!" she cried out happily, pulling her best friend into a hug.

"Isn't that a good song to sing while your boyfriend is five feet away from you?" Sheldon jokes. "I personally think it is."

"Shut up, Schlepper." Emily says, turning her head to face him.

"Hey now…" Sheldon warns playfully, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her down onto his lap.

Casey laughs, wrapping her arms around her chest. "Wow…it almost _irks_ me how cute you two are."

"Oh, you know you love it." Emily says playfully, pressing her pouty lips against Sheldon's.

"Anyways, Case." Sheldon says, after he and Emily's kiss. "We have a bit of a surprise for you this evening."

Casey raises her eyebrows. "You _do_ realize I'm not a big fan of surprises…right?"

"Oh, yeah, we know." Emily says, nodding her head dismissively. "But, this is a good surprise."

"And _why_ does that scare me…" Casey jokes.

Sheldon rolls his eyes at her. "Anyways, you know how New Years isn't fun without someone to kiss, right?"

Casey begins to object. "Well, actually-"

"_Exactly_." Sheldon cuts her off. "And that is precisely why-"

"We set you up with a date!" Emily finishes for him, smiling widely.

Casey's face fall and her heart drops. "You _what_?"

* * *

After a little over an hour of Marti crying out to Derek, "Let's play pony!" Derek decides it was high time he left for Sam's house.

"Remember Derek, if you drink too much, _call us_." Nora reminds him as he makes his way out the back door.

Derek pauses, turning to face his stepmom. "Did you just encourage teen drinking?"

Nora swats the back of his head with her hand. "Of course not, Derek. I just know teenagers and New Years Eve don't mix well."

"Yeah." Derek snorts. "Okay. I'll be sure to assign a designated driver three hours prior to the official alcohol-kickoff."

"That's all I ask." Nora says playfully, before waving him off.

The moment Derek gets into the cold December air, he pulls out his phone and quickly sends a text message to Casey:

_C U at mdnght. Ur nt getting away from my lips tht easily._

He laughs to himself, and begins to stick his phone into his pocket, only to have it vibrate a few moments later, as he climbs into his RAV4.

_Haha. Would it kill you to use proper grammar while texting? It's not that hard. Honestly._

He rolls his eyes, but smiles. Leave it to Casey to correct grammar on a text message.

His phone vibrates once more.

_PS: I look forward to your plan ;)

* * *

_

"Em?" a male voice calls out into the house.

Emily grins widely from where the trio is sitting upstairs in her room, the sky finally blackened as the clock rounds to nine o'clock at night.

"That's your date." She says wickedly, before jumping off of her bed and hurrying down the stairs.

"So, this is, like, a double date, isn't it?" Casey asks, turning towards Sheldon. "Emily just didn't want to tell me that it's a double date."

Sheldon nods, shrugging. "You know how Em is. But, what's the big deal? She didn't set you up with a _total_ loser."

"Gee." Casey deadpans. "Thanks for the boost of confidence." She says before standing up from the bed and making her way down the stairs.

She is pleasantly surprised when she finds Noel leaning against a wall in Emily's foyer. He glances up at her and his face slightly lights up, he pushes himself off of the wall and smiles at her. "Casey." He says happily. "_Hey_."

"Hey, Noel." Casey says with a cheery smile, making her way down the stairs. "Happy early New Year."

Noel cracks a smile. "And same to you. So, Emily slash Sheldon blind dated you as well?"

Casey winces jokingly. "Correct."

"Sheldon, help me with the chips, okay?" Emily chirps up.

Sheldon sends his girlfriend a puzzled expression. "Em, why do you need help with chips? How hard can it be to-" Sheldon is cut off abruptly by Emily latching onto his arm and hauling him off in the direction of her kitchen.

Noel laughs, tilting his head down and looking up at Casey. "I have a feeling we've been set up, McDonald." He smiles at her, as if he doesn't mind about being set up with her in the least bit.

Casey sends him a weak smile, her phone vibrating in her pocket, signaling she has a new text message. She pulls her white phone out of her pocket, sliding it up, her eyes scanning over Derek's text.

_2 hours and fifty minutes, Case…

* * *

_

"Dude, aren't you going to drink_ anything_?" Sam asks, glancing over at Derek, who is sitting on the couch holding a can of Pepsi.

"Pepsi: For those who think young." Derek tosses back, holding up his can of Pepsi victoriously and winking at Sam mockingly, a flirty, jaw dropped smile on his face.

Sam rolls his eyes at his best friend, his arm wrapping around a red-headed girl whose name Derek can't remember. "Nice…_Britney_."

"Is it midnight yet?" a whiny, high-pitched girl's voice squeaks from somewhere behind Derek. "I'm horny!"

"You heard the girl, D. Make her feel better." Joey, a guy from the hockey team, laughs, nudging Derek in his side with his elbow.

Derek glances at the clock, _9:20_.

Is the clock going backwards?

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and sends quickly thumbs another message to Casey.

_2 hours and FORTY minutes. Christ, you think it'd be 2008 by now_.

"Derek, my man." Sam slurs, there is no questioning whether or not he is drunk. "You seem in the _slumps_! We got you something to make you feel better."

Derek, who is now sitting with his fist against his forehead, turns towards Sam. "Do I want to know?"

"Der-Bear!" an all-too familiar voice squeals.

_Oh, God_, Derek thinks to himself. _Kendra_.

* * *

"I'm _freezing_." Casey murmurs, wrapping her bare arms around each other, she is sitting on the couch in the Davis's living room, the group of teens recently finishing up a seemingly _endless_ game of Trivial Pursuit: Pop Culture. It is now 11:10.

"So, wrapping your cold arms around your cold body is going to create a double negative and turn it positive?" Noel jokes, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Nerd." Casey says, nudging him with her foot, from where he is sitting on the floor, beside the coffee table. She kicks his knee and his jaw drops mockingly.

"Casey McDonald, I'm hurt!" he gasps, winking at her.

For some reason, despite how sweet he may be, the wink makes her cringe.

"Sheldon, move, I can't see!" Casey hears Emily's voice hiss. It's apparent that Noel does as well, for their heads both turn back towards the kitchen at the same time.

"Well, it's not my fault that-" Sheldon pauses mid-argue, as the couple spot Casey and Noel eyeing them. "The dip is ready!" he covers pathetically. "Emily…dip…bring." He blubbers, before smiling at Casey and Noel cheekily, making his way back into the living room.

Noel eyes him with a laugh, before turning to Casey. "Case, can I talk to you for a second?"

_Shit_, is the only thought floating through Casey's head, as she stands up and follows Noel out of the living room and into the kitchen. She can't even remember agreeing to come with him, but next thing she knows, the kitchen doors are closing behind them and she is completely alone with Noel Covington.

"What's up?" Casey asks curiously, feeling her phone vibrate against her pocket once more.

Noel sighs, rubbing his lips together. "Okay, I know that Emily and Sheldon set us up on this New Year's Eve thing on purpose."

Casey laughs slightly. "Uh, yeah. Kind of the point of a blind date."

He laughs, rolling his eyes at her. "And I think that's kind of cool."

_Oh, God_…Casey mutters in her head.

"Uh, yeah." Casey complies, wincing as she fakes a smile.

"So, I was wondering if maybe you and I could give it a shot…off-stage." He sends her an adorable smile, causing her heart to flutter against her chest regardless.

He's cute, so what?

Casey sucks in a deep breath, feeling her phone vibrate again.

Impatient much?

She sends him an apologetic smile. "Noel, you're a really great friend, but the thing is-"

"There's someone else, isn't there." Noel concludes, saying it more than asking it, as if already known that it's a proven fact.

"Yeah, there is." Casey agrees. "I'm sorry, Noel."

He shakes his head. "Don't worry about it, I kind of figured it since you've been texting all night, and your best friend is actually_ here_."

Her jaw drops. "Hey, I could have more than one friend, thank you very much."

He sends her a knowing look, smiling playfully. "I'm not saying you couldn't."

Casey laughs. "But, yeah, you caught me."

He nods, running his tongue down his lower lip. "Well, whoever he is, he's a really lucky guy."

"Pretty sure we're fifty-fifty on the luck thing." Casey complies, smiling to herself.

Noel opens the kitchen door a crack, poking his head back into the living room momentarily, before stepping back into the kitchen, grimacing. "They pulled out the Newlywed Game."

Casey's eyebrows rise. "You're serious."

"Oh, very much so." Noel replies, a higher, wispy pitch to his voice.

"But none of us are even _married_!" Casey hisses.

Noel scoffs, jerking his thumb back towards the closed door. "Have you _seen_ those two? They're practically June & Ward _Cleaver_!"

Casey winces, biting her lip, and laughing. "Should we play anyways? Just to humor them?"

Noel smirks at her. "I like the way you think, McDonald."

* * *

"So, after a lots and lots of manicures, shopping expeditions, and highlights, I decided to give you a second chance." Kendra rambles, flitting her hand up in the air. "Because, I am _such_ a good person."

Derek's isn't quite sure what he replies to that, his voice muffled.

"So, what do you say?" Kendra asks. "Kiss me at midnight?" she giggles flirtatiously.

Derek's head pops up. "What time is it?" he asks quickly, dismissing her question.

Kendra glances down at her cell phone. "11:49…why? You wanna get some practice in beforehand?"

He rolls his head backwards and stares up at the ceiling momentarily, before he comes to a conclusion and jumps up from the couch.

"Derek, what are you doing?" Kendra demands, glaring up at him.

"Sorry, it's 10 minutes until midnight and I have to be someplace."

Kendra scoffs, her jaw dropping and her eyes widening. "Somewhere more important than _here_? With _me_?"

Derek does nothing but nod. "Yeah, actually. Later." And on that note he turns on his heel and makes his way out of Sam's house.

"Derek! It's not even midnight yet!" Sam hollers after his best friend.

"Derek Venturi, get _back _here!" Kendra shouts as Derek swings open the front door and steps out into the freezing weather.

His phone vibrates and he pulls it out of his pocket as he makes his way towards his car, flipping it open.

_9…_

He smirks at his phone before shoving it back into his pocket, and climbing into his RAV4, turning the key in the ignition.

Nine minutes 'til midnight, and he _certainly_ had somewhere to be.

* * *

"Six minutes!" Emily squeals excitedly, looping her arm through Sheldon's as MTV played on the television.

Noel turns towards Casey and sends her a weak smile. "Six minutes until '08. Last chance to back out on text-boy."

Emily whips her head towards Casey. "And who's text-boy?"

As if on cue, her phone vibrates in her pocket and she whips it out.

"Apparently, _that_'s text-boy." Sheldon answers for Casey, and Emily nudges him, smiling at him playfully.

Casey slides her phone up and reads over her text.

_Turn it up, five minutes to midnight._

_Need to talk to you…think you can get away from the crowd and call me?_

Casey sighs, smiling at her phone. She knows that outside would be her best friend for isolation from everyone else. Demi and two of his friends were upstairs, there was no way that she could go into the kitchen without having Emily eavesdrop, and the garage was probably colder than the outside.

"I'll be back." Casey says quickly, before standing up from the couch and making her way outside.

"Casey, it's _freezing_ out!" Emily calls out after her, but Casey is already shutting the door.

She dials Derek's cell, and he answers after the first ring.

"Hey." He says into the phone.

"Is there a reason I'm calling you right now?" Casey asks, her breath swirling around in front of her, her teeth chattering from where she stands on Emily's porch.

"Yeah, actually." Derek replies on the other end. "You see, this waiting 'til midnight thing? It's not really working for me, Case."

Casey, despite her freezing form, laughs, rolling her eyes. "Well, sorry, but there's no way I can stop time and make us be together. So, you're going to have to wait until next year."

"Oh, Casey…" Derek's voice laughs on the other end. "You obviously don't know me as well as I thought you did. Once Derek Venturi wants something? He gets it."

Casey scoffs, sending a puzzled expression to Emily's family's porch swing. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Happy five minutes to midnight, Case." Derek murmurs, before the phone clicks off.

_Turn it up, five minutes to midnight! See our name in city lights…_

Casey's eyes widen at the sound of Boys Like Girls, and she looks over at her house, just in time to see Derek stepping away from his RAV4 sitting in the driveway, Boys Like Girls blasting through his stereo as he makes his way across his lawn and over to Emily's, snow falling around him.

Casey's jaw drops and she laughs, making her way down the front steps and towards Derek. "What the hell, Derek?"

Derek laughs, the two meeting in the Davis's driveway. "I told you I always get what I want." He says before placing a hand on either of her hips and pulling her against him, his warm lips melting against hers. Casey's phone drops to the snow covered pavement, as she wraps her arms tightly around his neck and presses herself closer to him, kissing him deeply.

"No way!" Emily's voice exclaims, breaking the two apart. "_Derek_ is text-boy?"

Derek and Casey whip around in time to see Emily, Noel, and Sheldon's heads all poking out Emily's front door.

Derek sends Casey a puzzled expression. "Text-boy?"

Casey turns towards him, laughing. "Isn't it cute?" she asks, pressing her lips against his. "You have a nickname."

"Fine." Derek says, with a playful smirk. "Text-girl."

Casey slugs her fist against his chest playfully, before sliding her arms back around his neck once more, pulling him into another kiss as Sheldon cries "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" out joyously.

The two break apart once more, the snow falling all around them. Derek smirks at her. "Kiss you next year." He says, raising his eyebrows up and down.

Casey grins. "Kiss you _this_ year." She says with a laugh, before pressing himself against him once more.

Happy New Year indeed.

* * *

**Hope you liked it!**

**I personally am not a fan of this one, at all. Lol**

**But, hopefully you guys think otherwise ;P**

**-**

**R&R and please, no flames!**

**Happy New Year:)**

**-**

**XO,**

**DC :)**


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